Clutchfans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 9/6/2020 (Playoffs Round 2, Game 2)

What do you mean?

 

LOL!!!

 

A lot of the time they double late in the shot clock, everyone gets caught off guard and panics especially westbrook and starting chucking 3's. That's just something we gotta adjust next game.

 

Nah, the worst of CP3 would have been out with a hammy.

 

Even funnier when you see Rondo hit a dagger mid range on us.

 

Last year Harden would have taken the floaters. I like ball movement when its working. It's beautiful. But we passed a lot of open shots this game trying to get better shots from the arc. Passing to an open Westbrook instead of taking the floater in the lane is low percentage basketball. It still has to be intelligent movement. Westbrook should be diving if open. .

 

Game 1 Russ: Dr. Jekyll
Game 2 Russ: Mr. Hyde

I would pull the 2005 Game 7 Avery Johnson strategy vs the Rockets...let Bron/AD get theirs. And COMPLETELY shut down everyone else.

 

At least we stole home court

Haven't lost a "home" game yet

same as last series, just win the "home" games

 

I agree. This game was an anomaly.

Rockets do not usually lose turnover battle this badly.

FT disparity favored Lakers, unfairly or not.

Rockets shooting went absolutely cold in the 4th.

On positive note, Scott Foster is not officiating the next game.

Take a deep breath, we got Game 3.

 

I have a feeling these ratings are going to be different tomorrow.

 

Hate to agree.

But Russ will clean it up next game.

 

It's not the calls we need, but the non calls we deserve...

 

Lakers adjusted, AD with the predictable comeback game and they win. No biggie. However, the fact that we couldn't adjust to their double-team in the 1st quarter is very worrisome. They will continue to throw double teams at Harden like that, we have to find a way to move the ball and move bodies. That is on Harden too, since that holding the ball and weak ass attempt to get open is not going to cut it. I don't think we're ready to exert more energy on offense with the hard work on defense, but we have to a find a way. Expanding the rotation is one, but that won't happen. We've shown we can move the ball and make cuts off the ball, catch it in the middle of the lane and do something with it. House can get to the basket, Green can kick it out and get a layup / dunk, just RoCo and Tucker who need to have some type of hook shot there.

I fear we won't adjust a damn thing and again we will have lost due to our coaching, which is crucial as you saw today. That's the only thing that I saw that changed the game. Lebron wasn't impressive, AD had a monster game but he's capable of that and their role players hit shots early and late, but we still came back. Unfortunately it was partially just luck again like in game 4 I believe against OKC, where we got hot and then just kept shooting which is something we did today as well. We got forced into some tough shots and late shot clock heaves or passes that got intercepted. We had such poor awareness partially due to not a single adjustment as far as getting into the middle where it was WIDE ****ING OPEN and Harden could've feasted on his floaters but since we don't play the mid-range nor practice shots there, it's easy for the Lakers to continue defending us as they have.

This is exactly why MDA and Morey can take their data and shove it up their asses. If we had practiced mid-range shots or at least some sets involving getting into the middle and create from there, this series would be ours easily. Now we are limited and with Harden holding the ball and not ready to draw up some plays that get us easier shots, we rely too much on luck with our 3pt shot. Westbrook was bad and I was disappointed in Green who looked to pass every single play. He was not ready to get into his shot and again we didn't let him bring the ball up to throw a wrinkle in there. So tired of Mike just going through the motions. Rivers I have zero expectations for at this point and even if MDA decides to play a Luc or Carrol, they are not ready. Frazier might be most ready so give him some burn coach! Rivers is not giving us ****. I also don't understand when Gordon was hot, why we didn't go to him more.

Last thing: why in the world did MDA let himself get punked into that way too early challenge by Harden? That was just dumb. Lebron was there and there was no way that was going to change the outcome. It's just one basket.

 

One simple adjustment I would like to see for game 3.

Bench House. House should have 0 minutes in these playoffs. Play McLemore (preferably), play Clemons, play Rivers, play literally anyone else.

 

Jeff Green and Rivers were no shows this game.

Disappointing.

 

Do you realize that Rockets do not go on that run to overcome 21 point deficit without House?

Your solution is -18 Rivers and scrub Clemons?

You are truly obtuse.

 

House was -17 overall in 27 minutes. Maybe wouldn't have lost the game if he didn't play so much. He missed the shots when they mattered and was hesitant to shoot. He is a negative plus/minus player. Clemons is a better player than House, but no I would give all of House's minutes to McClemore.

 

Let Rivers take up end of game minutes for Westbrook